On-campus security alert prompts police investigation

The flyers were posted in Langwith and near Windmill Lane, Photo: Sam Newsome

A Police investigation has begun this week following flyers requesting female students to pose for photographs whilst urinating on themselves being posted in Langwith and the woodland area near Windmill Lane.

Concerned members of the student population and Union Officers reported the flyers to campus Security Services, who later referred their concerns on to the North Yorkshire police.

The flyers announced the following message: “Wanted: female willing to be watched or photographed whilst wetting (peeing) jeans or underwear. Could benefit financially. Text or call mature gentleman.” Some students, who wish to remain anonymous, contacted the mobile phone number following the message, but “hung up before anyone answered”.

Bailey Oliver, Security Operations Manger, has disclosed that “this was first reported to security by a member of staff who found one of these ‘flyers’. My team immediately informed police and passed the document on to them for favour of their enquiries.”

The police investigation managed to trace who had posted the flyers, revealing it to be a man who explained the messages to be a private joke made between himself and his partner.

The flyers sparked concerns from many students living in halls, who were uncomfortable about the idea of non-students spending a lots of time on campus. India Boddy, a first-year Alcuin resident, has commented: “It’s not very nice really. I don’t understand why people would do that – there’s not much point, obviously people wouldn’t sign up or ever do, especially offering money.”

Ben Humphrys, Welfare Sabbatical Officer, believes that “if this was a joke, it was a joke in bad taste. Individuals have to take responsibility for anything they print or publish. I hope the individuals concerned now understand this.”

Oliver has assured Nouse that the flyers were taken seriously by Security Services as a genuine request for students to be photographed. He continued, “it would appear that they were written as a joke, albeit in questionable taste.”

The Security Operations Manger stated that the North Yorkshire Police service “have assured me that he poses no risk to students and that there will be no repetition of this regrettable incident.”

It has not yet been revealed whether the man involved was a student, but they have been admonished by the police force.

A second-year Politics student has said, “while it’s up to everyone what they do in the privacy of their own homes, it seems a bit dodgy to extend that into giving people flyers that advertise that sort of thing.”

Other students have expressed their shock and concern that this sort of article was posted on campus and the surrounding area, alongside other notices for campus events, announcements and society forums. Many were distressed by the wording of the flyer and its unequivocal message. A second-year English student who saw the posters last week told Nouse: “When I saw the flyers I was firstly disgusted and then realised that it may have been a joke. Either way it is a disgusting thing to put around campus and is in very poor taste.”